Boating victim found

Tuesday morning's search of Wixom Lake ended when authorities found the body of the 33-year-old Linwood man. The man was killed in a hit-and-run boat collision late Sunday night.

WIXOM LAKE  The Tobacco River side of Wixom Lake returned to its normal post-Labor Day quiet Tuesday afternoon.

Michigan State Police divers found the body of Brent Michael Veitengruber, 33, of Linwood who was the victim of a hit-and-run boating collision late Sunday night. His 29-year-old wife survived the crash, but her name has not been released.

Veitengruber was found close to 11 a.m. in deep water in the vicinity of the crash site.

Troopers at the scene said wind change or the water's current switch had nothing to do with finding the body. One said it just took the divers some time to search thoroughly.

The man's body is scheduled for an autopsy today.

Troopers said they've spent the past day-and-a-half concentrating on search and recovery and are now switching gears into investigating the incident.

The accident occurred about 11:50 p.m. Sunday just south of the Department of Natural Resources public boat launch off M-30 in Tobacco Township.

The woman escaped the sinking boat without injury and was rescued from the water by a passing watercraft. Troopers earlier said Veitengruber most likely was driving and suffered serious injury when the boat was hit broadside. The man was not wearing a life jacket. Officials believe the second boat, which fled after the crash, was speeding.

It appears the two boats were moving toward one another when the boat containing the couple attempted to turn out of the way. The second boat, which contained two males, was found by police Monday morning tied off the front of a home on the Tittabawassee River side of the lake near Albright Shores.

Troopers are not releasing any information about the suspects at this time because of the pending investigation.

Various people living on Wixom Lake in Tobacco Township said the incident has made them leery of driving a boat at night.

One man who lives close to the crash site, who wished to remain unnamed, said he's always been cautious about boating at night, but now he's even more careful.

The Gladwin County Sheriff's Office marine department patrols that side of the lake. Some of those marine officers were involved in the search and recovery effort.

The sheriff's office does not often conduct night patrols on the lake, although the Department of Natural Resources sometimes does, according to the state police.

gh the Department of Natural Resources sometimes does, according to the state police.